Satellite control network (SCN) is an essential component in space field. For example, SCN can be used to provide tracking, telemetry and commanding for on-orbit satellites. As another example, SCN can be used to provide launch control for space lift vehicles, and test support for ballistic missiles and space experiments.
Different from a satellite communication network, SCN normally operates with low data rate, but requiring guaranteed error free of control flows between remote tracking stations (RTSs) and intended satellites. Recently, the capability of multiple satellites reception may be deserved as an update of the SCN in the future, especially the spectrum originally assigned to SCN would be shared with commercial wireless carriers. The multiple satellites reception enables the SCN to improve spectrum efficiency in the congested spectrum band.
The existing RTSs are equipped with phase modulation module. Then frequency division multiple access with phase modulation (FDMA/PM) is supposed to be a desired solution of multiple satellite reception implementation. However, FDMA/PM suffers severe carrier and subcarrier modulation losses, cross-modulation and harmonics losses, which degrade the system performance and result in spectrum inefficiency as well. In addition, the technology of FDMA/PM cannot be able to bring interference mitigation capability into the updated SCN system, so it hardly meet the challenging requirement of spectrum sharing.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide an uplink multiple access method for satellite control network, and a related system.